Spring is here and vacation planning is the norm in most every middle class homes in America. Over the past few years the economy has made vacations out-of-reach for most working-class families; the trip to visit Grandma in the Alps is no longer financially-possible. Fact is, many cannot even schedule a vacation time, and are working during their vacations; opting to take the cash and continue working.ENTER THE FAMILY STATION WAGON..

Well, it's not really 'station wagon' anymore, or even campers that are taking America on the roads. It's the family automobile; the costly piece of machinery sitting in the garage or in the driveway at nights; that takes up a good portion of the meager salary each month. Now that same piece of metal is being used more frequent than before to take the family on the much deserved vacation. AAA statistics say that Americans are logging more miles on their personal vehicles that before, and pointed out that those miles are being used for vacation destinations. Here is a quote from TravelHorizonsTM: Auto is the primary means of transportation used by leisure visitors (76%) who traveled for leisure purposes between August 2008 and July 2009. The percentage of leisure visitors traveling by auto varies by income, generation and other demographic characteristics. (Source: travelhorizonsTM, July 2009)

Hotel parking lots are hosting more family personal automobiles than the car rental agencies. And even though people are indeed renting and leasing more vehicles than ever before, personally-owned vehicles are seen more frequently on the highways, largely because leased vehicles have mileage restrictions. On the upside with rental cars; they have unlimited mileage, allowing them to be driven on longer vacation journeys. Still, the family-owned vehicles are the best choices: they cost less to use than a rental (the average car payment is about $300 a month while a rental for a week could cost as much as $500 to $800, depending on the size and annimenites of the vehicle. Another important fact why automobiles are spending more time on the roads, especially during vacation periods is that they are more mechanically-dependable, get better gas mileage and are much more comfortable than our parents' clunkers. It is not unusual to have a family car , SUV, van, etc., comes equipped with air conditioner, a high-end stereo system with CD, DVD, AM/Fm and Satellite radio, a television, DVD player, a GPS and a phone. Now, with all those sophisticated gizmos, why not spend more time basking in their comfort?

Environmental issues impact travel decisions. With over 79% of U.S. adults considering themselves environmentally-conscious and increasingly aware of terms such as carbon footprint and global warming, travelers are beginning to make decisions based on sustainability criteria. However, while environmental responsibility is one of the prime factors influencing the selection of travel companies, American travelers continue to lack the willingness to pay extra to support environmentally-friendly travel providers. (Source: travelhorizonsTM, July 2009)Family travelers, those traveling with either children or grandchildren, make up 30% of U.S. adult leisure travelers. Grandparents traveling with grandchildren represent 7% of U.S. adult leisure travelers. Family travelers take an average of 4.5 trips each year. (Source: travelhorizonsTM, July 2009)